Pubdate: Fri, 06 Feb 2015
Source: West Hawaii Today (HI)
Copyright: 2015 The Associated Press
Contact: http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/contact_us/letters/
Website: http://westhawaiitoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/644

MAUI MEDICAL MARIJUANA USERS CRITICIZE PROGRAM

WAILUKU, Maui (AP) - Some Maui residents say it's too expensive to 
get marijuana for medical purposes and the laws governing the state's 
medical marijuana program are inconsistent.

Residents spoke at a meeting the state Department of Health held in 
Wailuku this week to gather public input on improving the program now 
that it's taking over its administration from the state Department of 
Public Safety, The Maui News reported.

The department has held similar meetings elsewhere in the state.

Kihei resident Janine Ehlis said marijuana is so expensive in Hawaii 
she tried to get it mailed to her from the mainland so she could 
treat her asbestos cancer. She was unsuccessful.

"Trying to get medical marijuana is pretty much ridiculous (on 
Maui)," Ehlis said at the meeting Tuesday. "And the amount you're 
allowing us to grow is not nearly enough to produce the oil I need."

She implored law enforcement officials to "go after the ice 
(methamphetamine) dealers and leave the marijuana (users) alone."

About 13,000 people in Hawaii have been issued cards that allow them 
to legally grow and use marijuana for medicinal purposes since the 
state's medical marijuana law was passed in 2000.

Without options to obtain marijuana legally, registered users on Maui 
are growing increasingly frustrated.

"There's inconsistency between federal law and state law," Kimo Brown 
said. "When police start poking their noses into my house the minute 
(they) know I hold a card or are a caregiver for somebody, well I 
don't want you coming into my house. Respect my rights."

The department has proposed several changes to the program, including 
allowing patients or physicians to nominate debilitating medical 
conditions that could be treated with medicinal marijuana, such as 
post-traumatic stress disorder.

It's also proposing to requiring proof of a bona fide relationship 
between a patient and the physician approving the medical use of marijuana.

Fifty separate bills related to marijuana use in the state are on the 
table this legislative session. Several bills calling for the 
decriminalization or legalization of marijuana were heavily debated 
at the state Capitol in the last two sessions but failed to pass either year.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom